Mother of man who collapsed in Greene County Jail said her son died of accidental overdose

The Greene County Sheriff's Office is investigating what led up to the Wednesday death of a man who collapsed while being booked into the Greene County Jail.

According to authorities, Jalen S. Goodwin, 22, was arrested by Springfield police Wednesday evening and brought to the jail to be booked and released on suspicion of three misdemeanor crimes. During the booking process, Goodwin collapsed to the floor and was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Goodwin's mother, Renee, told the News-Leader that she was informed by authorities that her son had swallowed a bag of cocaine that then ruptured in his stomach and likely caused his death.

The sheriff's office says a review of video footage "shows no indication of any medical duress" on Goodwin's part prior to him being photographed. The agency has not said publicly how Goodwin is believed to have died, but sheriff's office officials said in a news release they are investigating the events that occurred beginning when Goodwin was brought to the jail.

Deputy Cathy Ussery, spokeswoman for the sheriff's office, said she could not release the video footage from the booking area at this time because the investigation is ongoing.

Renee Goodwin said her son, a 2011 Parkview High School graduate, was a caring young man who didn't know a stranger. She said Wednesday's news was devastating.

"He was just a beautiful person who made some bad choices," Renee Goodwin said. "As a parent, losing a child to something senseless like this, it hurts like no other hurt you could possibly imagine."

Jalen Goodwin is survived by a 4-year-old daughter named Neveah.

Springfield Police Department spokeswoman Lisa Cox said Thursday that SPD is not doing any further investigation into its handling of Goodwin.

SPD released its report detailing the events that led to Goodwin's arrest on Wednesday evening.

The report says a manager at Reliable Chevrolet on South Campbell Avenue called police Wednesday afternoon to report that Goodwin came to the car lot to contact a female employee, who did not want to see him.

The manager told police Goodwin became upset when he was told to leave. Goodwin allegedly spit at the manager and threatened to fight other employees, according to the report.

Goodwin eventually left and then parked his car at the nearby Steak-N-Shake, the report says.

Police contacted Goodwin in the Steak-N-Shake parking lot, where he was found sitting in the driver's seat facing Reliable Chevrolet, the report says.

The responding officer wrote in his report that he found marijuana in the car and more than $600 cash in Goodwin's pocket. Goodwin was arrested on suspicion of trespassing, common assault and drug possession.

There is no mention in the report of a struggle between Goodwin and the officer. The report goes into detail about some movements Goodwin made while handcuffed in the patrol car. The report says specifically, however, that Goodwin never got the handcuffs in front of his body during the car ride.

The report says during the ride to jail, Goodwin moved his handcuffs behind his knees and then complained that his wrists hurt. He then struggled with his arms briefly, saying he could not get his arms back in a comfortable position, the report says.

Once at the jail, the officer says he helped Goodwin get his arms back in a more comfortable position.

The report says Goodwin's wrists had red marks "consistent with someone moving their wrist around while they were handcuffed."

Renee Goodwin told the News-Leader that her son used drugs, but she did not consider him an addict.

Renee Goodwin said her son had been considering going to rehab, and she encourages anyone struggling with illegal drugs to seek help.

"We have a problem in this community with drugs," Renee Goodwin said. "We need to pay attention to what is going on with our kids and what is going on in the community."

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Jalen Goodwin attempts to swat a ball out of the air in a Bass Pro Tournament of Champions game against De La Salle in 2011.(Photo: News-Leader file photo)

Jalen Goodwin played basketball all four years at Parkview, and his mother said he considered walking-on at Pensacola State College in Florida, where he spent two semesters before returning to Springfield to better care for his daughter.

Renee Goodwin said 4-year-old Neveah was the "pride and joy" of her son's life.

Korry Tillery played basketball with Jalen Goodwin at Parkview.

Tillery said he was shocked when he heard the news about Goodwin’s death.

“Being a part of the basketball program, everyone is a brother,” Tillery said. “So it is like losing a family member more than friend.”

Tillery said he remembers Goodwin as a loyal friend who had a contagious laugh and always wore a smile on his face.

Renee Goodwin said she is thankful for all of the kind messages she has received and the loving posts left on her son's Facebook page.

She said she has been upset, however, by negative posts she has seen online from people who did not know her son.

"We need a lot of prayers, a lot of compassion and a lot of understanding," Renee Goodwin said. "No matter what choice my son made or what happened, he's dead now. And I can't bring him back."

Records indicate that at the time of his death, Goodwin had never been charged with a crime.

The sheriff's office said deputies would attend an autopsy conducted by the Greene County Medical Examiner's Office to determine the cause of death. Ussery, the sheriff's office spokeswoman, told the News-Leader that it's standard practice for detectives to attend autopsies, so they can do things like taking additional photographs and processing any evidence.